Hat-lining.



No. 781,059.- PATENTED JAN.31,1905. R. s. 0. FULLER. v

HAT LINING.

AI PLIOATION FILED FEB. 25,1904.

"A, WI I i lm/b amo ammo a 5 %& mm, m; 4 v w w Patented January 31,1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. O. FULLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAT-LINING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,059,. dated January31, 1905.

' Application filed February 25, 1904:. Serial No, 195,144:-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT S. O. FULLER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city and State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement Relating to HatLinings,

The fastening means involve a thin spring extending around the hat.

The ends overlap to varying extents, thus allowing one length of springto serve with considerable variations in the sizes of the hats. Spurs,which may be formed from the same metal by cutting with a die, are bentoutward from the spring, and it requires but little skill or practice toenable the operator to properly engage the previously-formed lining withthe spring and to secure both in the hat by thrusting the spurs outwardthrough both materials and clenching.

My provision for holding the lining contributes to also maintain thecorrect shape of the hat when wetted or otherwise subjected to adverseconditions.

The following is 'a description of what 1 consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

. Figure 1 is a general perspective View of the springs and spurs andtip. Fig. 2 is on a smaller scale. It is a central vertical sectionthrough a completed hat with this invention in position for use. Fig. 3is a vertical section of a portion on a larger scale. This shows thelining, which extends down while the spring is being secured and isafterward folded up into place. Fig. 4: is a horizontal section showinga spurafter it has been folded and caused to lie against the crown ofthe hat.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigureswhere they appear.

The invention may be applied to hats of any material and size for eithersex; but it is more especially intended for ladies hats. I have in myexperiments applied the invention very successfully to hats of chinachip and will describe it as thus applied.

A is the crown, and A the brim, ofahat.

B is the lining, and (J the tip.

Although in the process of introducing the I lining the hat will beusually in the opposite position, I will in referring to it term theupper side that which lies uppermost when the hat is in use on the head.

D is a spring of hard brass bent around to approximately correspond tothe contour of the head, smoothly flanged outward along its lower edge,as indicated by D, and having slender spurs D D &c., formed by cuttingand bending the metal outward on the other (the upper) edge. All thatportion D of the spring between the first spur D and the next spur D isnarrower than the remaining portion of the spring. The spring is alsoformed with two small horizontal slots (Z (Z at approximately oppositepoints. The metal is formed inward. a little above each slot.

E is a transverse spring which is folded at one end. E, to a fixedamount and engaged in one of the slots (Z. Two claws or spurs E areformed by cutting and bending the metal near the mid-length. The otherend, E of the spring is inserted through the opposite slot (Z, the foldbeing longer or shorter, according to the style of the crown. A uniformlength of the encircling spring D and a shorter but uniform length ofthe cross-spring E, which latter may be lighter than the spring D, willserve for a wide range of sizes of hats.

The view in Fig. 3 shows a spurafter it has been thrust outward throughthe lining and through the body of the hat. The strong lines show thelining before it has been folded inward under the flanged edge of thespring. The dotted lines show the same after it has been so folded andcaused to properly extend up within the crown of the hat.

In the use of the invention the lining B and tip 0 being previouslymanufactured and the tie-ribbon G being inserted in the hem around oneedge of the lining in the ordinary manner, a previously-flangedspringDD' is taken 1 cause it is less liable to corrosion.

from the pile and its spurs D D &c., are bent at right angles, andbeginning with the spur D at the narrow end of the spring they aresuccessively thrust through the material B of the lining a littledistance from the raw edge and outward through the hat near the junctionof the crown with the brim. Thespring should not only extend quitearound the interior of the hat, but should overlap considerably. Thepoint of the last spur D is presented within the lining B, near the endof the spring first set, and it is thrust outward in that position abovethe previously-secured portion. In the inverted position in which thehat is usually held at this stage this spur D is below the narrow end ofthe spring. The broad end of the spring last applied receives the narrowend, that first applied, between the flange and the spur of the broadend. Now the outer end of the several spurs D D 850., being flatteneddown upon the hat, the narrow end is stifliy held relatively to thebroad end and to the hat and lining, and the securing of the lining iscomplete unless there is required to be a tip securedby the same means.In the latter case the transverse spring E is engaged by its spurs Ewith the tip C, and the short folded end E is engaged in one of theslots d. Then the other end, E is rove through the opposite slot (Z tojust the required extent and then sharply folded upon itself.

The flange D performs the triple function of, first, insuring a broadand smooth edge of the lining to be presented to the eye; second, areinforce to the spring D, contributing to maintain the form of the hatunder all conditions, and, third, resisting any tendency of thetransverse spring E to be thrust past the spring D, and thus to injurethe lining or the appearance of the hat.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle orsacrificing the advantages of the invention.

I use spring-brass as preferable to steel, be-

in the manufacture of the springs I propose to coat them with varnish,preferably a strong varnish hardened with heat-Japan-of a color andshade corresponding to the hat; but such coating may be omitted. Thethickness and breadth of the springs and the number and length of thespurs, &c., may be varied.

I claim as my invention 1. As an improvement in hats the curved springdescribed having spurs on its upperedge and smooth flange on its loweredge in combination with a lining secured thereby, the said springperforming the triple function of aiding to maintain the shape of thehat under all conditions, properly holding the lining in place andpresenting a broad flat surface by the folding of the lining inwardthereunder all substantially as herein specified.

2. In a hatthe eurvedspring I) having spurs l) D on one edge and aflange D on the opposite edge adapted to perform the double function ofstiffening and insuring a broad and fair surface at the bottom of thespring, and having a narrow portion D near one end matching the width ofthe space between the spurs and flange to vertically stiffen thejunction when set in a hat, all substantially as herein specified.

3. The combination with a hat and a lining of a metallic spring providedwith spurs performing the double function of holding the hat-lining andstiffening and supporting the form of the hat, and a tip G and atransverse spring E secured to the main spring and to the tip andextending across over the head of the wearer, all substantially asherein specifled.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth 1 aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. U. FULLER.

\Vitnesses:

L. L. FREEMAN, M. F. BOYLE.

